March 5, 2022

News, products, marketing and merchandising tips for the
front end of community pharmacies


* Gabe's Tips: *


don't wait

Don't wait for change

For 14+ years, I worked for a person who insisted we wait to do OTC price changes when an item was received with a price change. That steadfast policy was just one of the reasons why the owner had to eventually sell to another independent. As you are reading this message, cost and retails are changing. Being proactive when dealing with price changes saves you money; it's that simple. Today, acquire the most up-to-date price change data from your POS vendor or wholesaler. Adjust the retails on your current inventory. Please, do not wait.


butter

A lesson from a pound of butter

In the past 47 years, my wife has never swapped butter brands. She has been loyal to one major brand, well, until two days ago. Carmen came home with a store-brand butter! She said the private label was four dollars and change and the brand that she loved was six dollars and change! OMG! Private label of all kinds now has a chance to shine better than ever. Make it a point to use your "Compare to" signs; start with the Cough & Cold, Pain Relief, and Digestive departments. If you offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on private label, I suggest you get those signs up as well.


Wound't you know

The month of March is when merchandisers are asked to update the First Aid and Wound Care departments. As a rule, wound care has an above-average profit margin. When purchasing wound care, many customers go straight to the pharmacy counter and ask for assistance; you can imagine how well that goes at a chain. Advantage YOU! Start with at least a 4ft section. Reach out to local doctors, wound centers, emergency rooms, assisted living, and orthopedic offices for their product preferences. Customize your new wound care department to meet the health providers' needs. Heads up, you may have to purchase some product directly from the manufacturer or buy from a specialty distributor. It will be worth it.


Supplement your wound care

When it comes to wound care, my friend Jack Dunn recommends cross-merchandising vitamin C (a cofactor of collagen production). Jack also suggests offering zinc to promote healing, omegas to reduce inflammation, and L-glutamine to improve wound healing.


Immune boost your end cap

A tickle in the throat will have many running for throat lozenges. Consider an endcap with a combination of throat lozenges and immune boosters. Place the immune boosters on a narrow shelf positioned at the very top slot of an endcap. Keep your boosters to just one shelf! Start pegging your bags of lozenges at least five inches below the narrow shelf. If the shelf is not narrow, you will need to adjust the space needed to see the tops of the first row of bags. It is important that you place the immune boosters as close to eye level as possible. The endcap does not need to be near the Cough & Cold section!

Thank you for being a member of NCPA, and oh, please check to see if your membership is current AND if you own more than one store, you can add it for only $150. Each store receives up to four staff members who'll enjoy NCPA member benefits. We need you to keep NCPA's voice strong — more pharmacies and pharmacy staff means a louder voice!




Front End Resources for NCPA Members

Being a member of NCPA means you have access to a treasure trove of helpful hints, tips, and resources to make your front end more profitable! Download One-Pager Tips on a variety of topics. Gabe typically posts a tip once or twice a day on his Twitter account — if you're on Twitter, give him a follow at @NCPAGabe. The Overhaul of Fame galleries contain hundreds of photos to inspire you, from effective signs to successful end-caps and everything in between. Finally, you and your staff can access several staff training videos that will help you take an objective view of your store, both inside and out!

This wealth of knowledge is due to the fantastic photos, ideas, and suggestions we receive every day from NCPA members like you. Drop him a line at gabe.trahan@ncpa.org with your questions, photos, best advice, and recommendations. What's selling well in your store? Let us know.


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